Baling press



y 1941- T. s. GRIN-IE8 ETAL 2,241,063

BALING PRESS Filed Jan. 9, 1939 3' Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS THflDDfl/S GP/MIS NELSON 15. HENRY ATTORNEYS May 6 1941. T. s. GRIMES EI'AL 2,241,063

BALING PRESS Filed Jan. 9, 1939 3 Sheets-#Sheet 2 INVENTORQ THADPEUJ s. GP/MES wrz. so/v 25. HENRY ATTORNEYS y 1941. 'r. s. C iRIMES ETAL 2,241,063

BALING PRESS Filed Jan. 9, 19:59 5 Sheets-Sheet s 5. 5 INVENTOR" THHDDE'US 5 GP/MFS NELSON B. HENRY Patented May 6, 1941 2,241,063 BALING PRESS Thaddeus S. Grimes and Nelson B.

Henry,

Columbus, Ga., assignors to Lummus Cotton Gin Company, a corporation of Georgia Application...lanuary 9, 1939, Serial No. 249,944

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a baling press, particularly to What is commonly termed a high density press, where the compressible material being baled is subjected to relatively high hydraulic pressure whereby to compress it into a small space for shipping, and has for one of its objects the provision of hydraulic means for releasably holding the press box doors in operating position. a

A further object of our invention is to provide, in a high density baling press, hydraulic means carried by one of the doors of the press for releasably holding the doors of the press together during the compressing operation.

Our invention is particularly adapted to a high density baling, press wherein cotton is subjected to relatively high pressures in order to produce a bale of a size comparable to bales heretofore produced by a second baling operation, or compress, and which may be loaded in freight cars or aboard ship with economy of space.

Various mechanism has been employed in the art for holding the side and end doors of such presses in operating position when the press was in use. During the baling operation there is considerable internal pressure exerted against the side and end doors of the press. For instance, when forming high density bales of cotton, the internal pressure against the side doors may reach a total of fifty tons. For this reason, mechanically operated means for holding and releasing the doors under such great pressure, have heretofore been complicated and subject to rapid wear. Further, considerable manual effort is necessary to operate such mechanical devices, and in some instances, the sudden release of the mechanically operated means has been accompanied with some danger to the operator.

These and other difiiculties are overcome by means of our invention, in which we provide a press box having side doors pivoted at one end to swing outwardly, and end doors which are held between flanges provided on the side doors. On one of the side doors, we provide a hydraulic mechanism comprising a pump and fluid supply, and a piston fixedly mounted on the door, said piston having a movable cylinder cooperating therewith. Carried by the other side door is a link mechanism which is adapted to be swung into engagement with the cylinder of the other door which, when hydraulic pressure is applied, serves to hold both the side and end doors firmly in operating position. The hydraulic cylinders may be readily released by releasing the pressure through the piston, whereupon the link portion may be swung free of the cylinders and the doors released.

Apparatus embodying features of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which- Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a press equipped with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing one of the press boxes;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation showing the end doors of the press and looking in the direction IV-IV of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the hydraulic pistons and its associated cylinder carried by one of the side doors.

Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of our invention, we show a baling press embodying upper frame members l0 which support an upper platen II, and are in turn supported by a tension member l2 and centerpost l3. Thecenterpost member I3 is surrounded by a sleeve I4 which is rotatable on a bearing [5 at the bottom of the centerpost. Attached to the sleeve I4 at intervals are plates I6, I! and I8. Pivotally mounted on the plates I6, I! and I8 are the front side doors l9 and the rear side doors 2| of similar press boxes A and B. The two similar press boxes are supported from the centerpost l3, and may selectively be positioned beneath the upper platen H of the press by rotation about the centerpost, as is well understood in the art. End doors 22 and 23 are pivotally supported at 24 beneath the press box proper so as to have a limited amount of outward play when the press box doors I!) and 2| are opened. A platform 26 also supported from the sleeve l4 and centerpost [3' enables workmen to attend the press in its operation. The front and rear side doors l9 and 2| are each formed with end flanges 2! and 28 having inclined surfaces which cooperate with similarly inclined surfaces 2!! and 30 on end doors 22 and 23 on each side thereof, so that as the side doors are swung closed, the inclined surfaces cooperate to draw the end doors 22 and 23 to their proper operating positions.

' pivotally mounted at the free end of the side door 21 is a heavy link mechanism 3! having a vertically disposed member 35 at the outer end thereof which is adapted to be swung across the end of the press box to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Rigidly mounted on the free end of the opposite side door I9 are a pair of pistons 32, each of which has a passage 33 therein leading to its outer end. The pistons 32 being similar, the description of one suffices for both. Over the piston 32 is mounted a movable cylinder 34 having on its closed end a concave face 34a adapted to receive the link member 35 and lock it against swinging movement. A head 36 is mounted on the outer end of the piston 32 and is held in position by means of a nut 31. The head 36 cooperates with the piston to form a packing groove 38, in which is mounted a suitable packing, such as a cup leather packing 39. A spring 4| mounted in the packing groove serves to maintain the cup leather in expanded position against the walls of the cylinder and prevents any'leake age.

Also mounted on the door I9 is a fluid reservoir 42 and a pump 43, which may be manually operated by means of a handle 44 connected to the pump plunger 46. An inlet pipe 4'| leads from the reservoir 42 to the pump 43, and upon operation of the pump, fluid, such as oil, is discharged through a valve housing 45,,a pipe 43 and pipe 49 to the passages 33 of the pistons 32. A manually operated valve may be employed in the discharge line 48, in addition to the usual automatic discharge valve, to hold the fluid pressure in the cylinders when desired, and a second manually operated valve 52 controlling a passage. (not shown) in the valve housing 45 may be employed to drain the fluid from the cylinders whenever it is desired to release the fluid therefrom. The pump, reservoir and conduit connections are of standard construction and, forming no part of our invention, need no further detailed description.

In operation, the doors [9 and 2| are swung closed manually to engage the end doors 22 and 23 and draw them to their operatingoposition. The link mechanism 3! is then swung to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that the vertical member 35 thereof is opposite the outer end of the cylinder 34 and in the concave face 34a. Pressure is then supplied to the cylinders 34 through the pistons 32 by means of the hydraulic pump 43, through pipes 48 and 49, whereupon the doors are held firmly in place. only averylimited amount of movement of the cylinders necessary to engage the vertical members 35, only a few strokes of the pump plunger 46 .serve to lock the press doors firmly in place. Theliquid in the cylinders being substantially incompressible, the ,doors are firmly held against the powerful compressing forces employed, the concave face 34a serving to prevent the link member 35 from slipping off the cylinder.

After the pressure has been applied to the material being baled, as is well known, the press doorsare released and the bale tied. The doors may be released by opening the valve 52 and allowing the fluid within the cylinders 34 to drain through pipes 48 and 49 and valvehousing 45 back to theoil reservoir 42. When this is done, thelink mechanism carried by the door 21 may be swung free of the cylinders and the side doors swung open. The enddoors are, then automatically released by disengagement of the side doors therefrom.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that we have devised an extremely strong, yet simple and easily operated mechanism for holding the doors of the press box of the baling press in position,

There. being which is capable of withstanding the compressive forces employed in baling and be readily released when required.

While we have shown our invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

, What we claim is:

'1. In a baling press having separable doors and a supporting member on which two of the doors 3 are pivotally mounted, the combination of a hydraulic piston fast on one of said pivoted doors, a cylinder surrounding said piston, link means carried by the other of said pivoted doors and adapted to be engaged directly with the closed end of said hydraulic cylinder, means to introducea fluid underpres'sure into said cylinder to cause the cylinder to engage said link and hold all of said doors assembled-and means to discharge the fluid from the cylinder.

2. In a baling press having opposed side doors, end doors, means on the side doors to hold the end doors in place while baling, and a link mechanism carried by one of the side doors and adapted to swing across to the other side door, the combination of ahydraulic cylinder and piston carried by the other side door, said link mechanism being adapted to bear directly against the closed end of said cylinder, andpump and valve means carried bysaid other door to supply fluid to and exhaust the same from said cylinder.

3. In a balingpresshaving a press box, end doors, front and rear side doors pivotally mounted to swing open horizontally and a link mechanism carried by the free endof one of the side doors and adapted to be swung across the end of the press box to' engage the other side door, the combination of pistons fixedly mounted on the free end of the other side press box door, cylinders on the pistons adapted to move outwardly with' their closed ends engaging the link mechanism to hold the press doors in place, a hydraulic pump mounted on said door to supply and release fluid from the said hydraulic pistons, and inturned flanges on the front and rear side doors adapted to engage and hold the end doors in place.

4. In a baling press, the combination with a press box, end doors, front and rear side doors pivotally mounted to swing open horizontally, and a link mechanism carried by the free end of one of the side doors and adapted to be swung across the end of the press box to engage the other side door, of pistons having one end fixedly mounted on the free end of said other side press box door, cylinders on the other ends of said pistons, a seat on the closed end of said cylinders into which the link mechanism fits, a hydraulic pump, a hydraulicline from said pump connected to each piston adjacent its fixedly mounted end, there being a passage through the piston for admitting fluid from the line into the cylinder, andinternal flanges on said front and rear doors adapted to engage and hold the doors in place.

THADDEUS s. GRIMEs'. NELSON B. HENRY. 

